


Push and Pull

by doitall



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10020320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doitall/pseuds/doitall
Summary: Two strangers meet at a solo camping trip, both wanting to leave the stress of the city behind, even just for a little while. They bond under the stars and exchange emails before going their separate ways. Love grows as they continue to keep in touch.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for do-itall fic fest (Prompt #145)
> 
> Author's Note: thank you min for all your help and support. and to the prompter, hope i gave your idea justice. your prompt was so nice that that i made it my summary.

Kyungsoo settles down after storing his backpack in the overhead compartment, silently thanking his past self for choosing the window seat. He’s mildly pleased that no one has booked the chair beside his own since he’s not in the mood to share his personal space with anyone.  
  
The train ride that he's taking to Busan from Seoul is relatively empty and Kyungsoo finds comfort in the soft hum of the train that is ready to speed off in a few minutes. If there’s one thing he really needs right now, it’s time for himself. Kyungsoo knows that he needs to turn around and run away — even just for a little while. A quick escape never hurts anybody, not when the one fleeing has intentions of coming back.  
  
Do Kyungsoo? He’ll be fine.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
It was a bittersweet moment when Kyungsoo popped the bubble of ignorance that his parents have trapped themselves in by coming out to them as gay. This was news that never should have come as a surprise in the first place if they only stopped to realize that Kyungsoo is not a mirror of his brother and never will be.  
  
He’s not like Seungsoo who’s bound to propose to his long-term girlfriend. Kyungsoo isn’t going to put himself out there for women to fawn over and he’s certainly not going out of his way to approach a girl and flirt with her. Instead, he’d rather spend his time at the park, strolling and pondering about the day, sometimes with a cup of coffee or a can of soda in hand. He’ll allow his eyes to appreciate the men he sees either running in shorts or walking their dogs, smiling bittersweetly when he catches them drawing near their girlfriend or a woman who happens to be their type. It’s a life that Kyungsoo has come to accept, a life that he wishes that his family will eventually warm up to.  
  
He has already done so much for them. Kyungsoo has worked his ass off to get into a reputable college, graduating with a degree in psychology and landing a job at an insurance company’s human resources department, where he thankfully doesn’t have to deal with a lot of people because he’s responsible for rewards and compensation. Kyungsoo knows he’s a decent son who contributes to the household income and does nothing to shame his parents in front of neighbors and friends — yet all of these things fall into shambles when faced with the issue of his sexuality. Since he came out to his family, they continue to pretend that he had not uttered a word about being gay and boldly give him the cold shoulder when he tries to talk about anything remotely close to his sexuality.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
Almost two years have passed since Kyungsoo has tried to slowly but surely get his parents to warm up to his sexuality, helping his parents open up their hearts once again to their own son. He’d like to think that there’s some progress at the very least, little moments of hurrah like when his father refrains from asking him about any female co-workers he’s interested in or when his mother stops setting him up with her friends’ daughters.  
  
However, Kyungsoo gets slapped in the face by reality when he overhears his mother talking to one of his aunts, lamenting to her that it’s taking ages for their Kyungsoo to “get past this gay stage of his life.”  
  
It’s a small incident, a gentle reminder, and a startling revelation that his family is just not ready to accept how he has chosen to live his life. So instead of wasting his energy in trying to convince his parents that he’s still the same person that they’ve come to know and love, Kyungsoo decided to just let it be and fuck it.  
  
While he may love his family to death, there are some things that he cannot take quietly to the grave. Kyungsoo knows he can’t keep from being who he is, especially when it involves how he’ll be spending the rest of his life.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
It takes about a week or so for Kyungsoo to admit to himself that he was indeed hurt by his mother’s seemingly offhanded statement. He can’t sleep properly and he’s finds himself spacing out during meetings. It’s like a dam has broken within him and the water’s current is washing away all traces of acceptance that Kyungsoo has been trying to build up since he came out to his family.  
  
Overwhelmed by the stress of such a simple yet pointed sentiment, Kyungsoo decides to put everything on hold and take time to get himself together. He’s still got a few unused leaves carried over from last year so Kyungsoo takes advantage of his time off. He needs to get away from the crushing disappointment that’s tearing down the wall he had built to protect himself from the prying eyes of judgement. If he stays around his family any longer, he’ll be pushed to the breaking point by the palpable tension and he’ll be left to fester in his own thoughts, berating himself for choosing the path less trodden on.  
  
His sudden call to escape from home is completely out of character but not entirely unwelcome. At the spur of the moment, Kyungsoo joins an open camping group that’s set to explore Geumjeongsan Mountain in Busan. Kyungsoo is not an outdoorsy kind of person, but he figures that a breath of fresh air, literally, will help him clear his mind by keeping him busy and unable to focus on the burning sadness he feels towards his family’s inability to accept him. Hence, he joins a Kakao group he found on Naver that’s dedicated to bringing together solo travelers, strangers they may be, who are interested to hike and camp in mountain forests.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
The hiking group’s meet-up place is at the Starbucks nearest to Busan National University. The place is teeming with students and Kyungsoo sincerely hopes that the group’s team leader won’t mistake him for a teenager who simply wants to tag along with an adult hiking group. He sits himself at a table near the entrance with a cup of coffee, placing his hiker’s backpack on the seat beside him so people know that he means business. Kyungsoo’s eyes scan the crowd for a young man wearing a green beanie with the words “this a mountain” crocheted on it. It was the only hint of identity given to him by the hike leader, Oh Sehun, when Kyungsoo asked him how he can be identified in a sea of people. He would have texted Sehun had their leader actually brought his phone with him — which according to his introduction post is something he does not do on hikes. Instead, he had opted to bring something more reliable to explore the wilderness, a walkie-talkie connected to the information center at the base of Geumjeongsan Mountain. He had also taken the liberty to save his co-hikers from the trouble of contacting him, instructing them to simply find Waldo.  
  
After almost half an hour of waiting someone finally pays attention to Kyungsoo, someone who is most definitely not Sehun.  
  
“Excuse me. Are you also part of the Top Grade Hiking Group?” asks a tall man in accented Korean. He has with him a hiker’s backpack that’s similar to Kyungsoo’s own and is wearing a windbreaker that’s unmistakably made for outdoor sports.  
  
It takes a while for Kyungsoo to respond, mainly because he’s caught off guard by the question but also because he’s slightly intimidated by the stranger’s stare that’s punctuated by his thick, furrowed eyebrows.  
  
“Um… yes, I am. Are you Oh Sehun?” Kyungsoo answers, wondering if their lead forgot to wear the hat he said he’ll be showing up in.  
  
“No, but I am someone who you’ll be spending three days with.” The man responds with a shy but disarming smile. “I signed up for the hike, too.”  
  
“I see.” Kyungsoo nods thoughtfully before removing his bag from the chair, gesturing for his fellow hiker to sit down. The man may be a stranger but Kyungsoo figures that some kind of company is better than none.  
  
When the man sits down he’s quick to take out a small flag that has the hiking group’s name on it. “I’m Sehun’s friend and he asked me to stall for a bit because the bus he’s on is stuck in traffic. On behalf of my friend’s failed attempt to organize another hiking group, I apologize.”  
  
“I thought his group had pretty good reviews on Naver. Have you joined any of his hikes before?” Kyungsoo asks.  
  
Kris laughs. “No, I haven’t. But as Sehun’s friend I have the license to make fun of him.”  
  
“Yes, in front of someone who is essentially your friend’s customer.” A menacing voice jokingly speaks up from behind, making them both turn their heads around to see a young man sporting a lopsided grin and a green beanie.  
  
Finally.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
The members of the hiking group eventually start trickling inside the coffee shop a few minutes after Sehun arrived.  
  
There’s Park Chanyeol, a tall and overly cheery graduate student from Busan National University who most probably should be in class for the next few days but isn’t. He hits it off quickly with Sehun since they’re both the same height and Chanyeol seems like the type to be chatty with the tour guide. Another duo is formed between two other hikers who are also about the same height, Kim Jongdae, a bookshop owner, and Byun Baekhyun, an enthusiast of the local theater and indie scene. Jongdae cracks a joke about why hipsters still hangout in Starbucks when it’s so basic, Baekhyun immediately laughs, and the rest is history. Then there are two girls who introduced themselves as Kim Hyojung and Lee Yejin. They click instantly because it seems like they both have a crush on Sehun, joining Top Grade Hiking Group after seeing Sehun’s promotional picture of his own self striking a handsome pose on top of a mountain he recently climbed.  
  
So that pretty much leaves Kyungsoo with this Kris guy who says he’s from China but travels often to Korea for its culture and scenery. The same Kris who struck up conversation with Kyungsoo while waiting for their team lead to arrive. Not that he’s complaining, though. Kyungsoo knows that solo traveller groups are mostly for people who want to meet new friends rather than those who want to be alone. He’s just lucky enough to be paired with a seemingly nice guy who’s easy on the eyes and looks like he’s more interested in the whole mountain hike than he is into socializing.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
The group of eight start their hike up Geumjeongsan Mountain after Sehun rounds them up for a little introduction and pep talk, telling them all that they’re in for a treat because the hike is interspersed with visits to historical sites. Also, instead of taking a cable car up the mountain like most tourists do or cutting through the mountain shortcuts, they’ll be following the trails on foot to experience nature firsthand. Kyungsoo takes all the information in, walking beside his unofficial hiking buddy and behind their lead who directs them to the trail going up the side of the mountain. The group then enters Geumjeongsanseong Fortress, a stone wall that winds around the face of the mountain.  
  
As they go through the fortress, looking over the walls to see the dips and gorges of the mountain, wind billows against the group of hikers. The gusts are strong and sharp, carrying away with it Kyungsoo’s worries and sorrow. The clouds above them move quietly, streaks of white and blue intertwining through the endless sky. Kyungsoo can’t help but smile to himself, albeit a little bitterly, as he thinks of the beauty in allowing all things natural to run its own course.  
  
“What? What am I missing?” A voice beside him pipes up.  
  
Kyungsoo’s eyebrows scrunch up in confusion as he looks to his right. “Excuse me?”  
  
Kris grins at him before shrugging those broad shoulders of his as he walks in sync with Kyungsoo. “Nothing. Just wondering what you’re suddenly smiling at.”  
  
“The view. It’s nice,” the smaller man offers, eyes sweeping over the the vast area of trees and foliage surrounding them.  
  
“It is. Kinda reminds me of the Great Wall back in China.” Kris nods in agreement. “How about you? What does this fortress remind you of?”  
  
“Boundaries,” Kyungsoo responds, a little more serious than he’d like but the taller man beside him doesn’t seem to mind, opting to join Kyungsoo’s train of thought.  
  
“Boundaries that are meant to keep you safe or ones that trap you inside?”  
  
Kyungsoo almost stops in his tracks, the question hitting close to home and making him pause to think of his family back in Seoul. “Trapped, I think. I’m not sure. Maybe both, in hindsight.”  
  
Kris hums in acknowledgement, looking at Kyungsoo and urging him to continue. However, the smaller man shakes his head with a sorry smile to signal that he doesn’t want to talk about it.  
  
“Right. My bad. Of course you don’t want to talk about something personal with a complete stranger,” Kris chastises himself.  
  
“No!” Kyungsoo is quick to correct him. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just not very good when it comes to talking about my feelings. Be it with a friend or an acquaintance.” The smaller man pauses. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“No harm done,” Kris assures him. “I just don’t want you looking upset. Sehun might regret inviting me over by thinking I’m really trying to sabotage this hike.”  
  
Kyungsoo is not sure how to take the obvious remark made to lighten the slight tension between them along with the friendly wink sent his way. He really was being honest when he said that he’s not the best person when it comes to verbalizing his emotions, especially when he’s talking about his sexuality. The fact of the matter is it’s not easy disclosing to other people that he’s gay. It’s not something like issues at work or relationship problems that he can easily say as they are. Still, he appreciates Kris’ effort in trying to make things interesting for Kyungsoo because he really has no reason to be considerate. So as a thank you for his kindness, the smaller man returns the favor by keeping their banter going.  
  
“How are you related to Sehun? He isn’t by any chance your brother, is he?” Kyungsoo asks, eyes questioning.  
  
“We were classmates for a year in middle school. I stayed in Busan for one year because my mom had to come here for work.” The taller man explains, appearing pleased that Kyungsoo is taking interest in their budding friendship.  
  
“Props to you for learning Korean in such a short period of time.”  
  
“I’m only as good as I am now because I go to Korea often. My Korean was really bad the first time around,” Kris shares, his words punctured by quick puffs of breathing since the trail they were on was beginning to run steep.  
  
“It’s still bad,” Sehun interjects, apparently listening to them even though he’s walking about two meters ahead with Chanyeol.  
  
Kyungsoo hides his laugh when he sees Kris color in embarrassment.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
The first day of the hike ends at the camping grounds near Godangbong Peak which looks over two cities in Busan along with Gimhae Airport. The Top Grade Hiking Group settles at a clear area near an outhouse that they’ll be sharing with another set of campers.  
  
Sehun brings out a family sized tent big enough for eight people to fit in comfortably, engaging Chanyeol and girls to set up the contraption. Jongdae and Baekhyun are given the task to create a pit safe enough to start a fire in, trying to work quick enough so Kris and Kyungsoo can start preparing dinner, having been assigned to cook up a storm using the food brought by each hiker.  
  
Even though Kyungsoo knows his way around the kitchen, he’s not exactly sure what he’s supposed to do with the packs of kimchi, cups of ramen, and a bunch of sweet potatoes that’s strewn all over the long wicker table that their group has taken over. It doesn’t help that Kris has has no talent whatsoever when it comes to cooking.  
  
“He’s trying to punish me for missing his last birthday party. What a brat. He knows I can’t cook.” Kris glares at his friend who’s in the middle of piecing together the tent’s structure.  
  
“You two are really something,” Kyungsoo comments as he starts opening eight packs of ramen, wondering if they can all fit in the small pot the Sehun miraculously pulled out of his backpack or if he has to cook them in batches. Given their limited options for food, roasted sweet potatoes and cooked ramen mixed with kimchi will have to do.  
  
“I know. Good thing we’re just friends,” the taller man says with relief written all over his face.  
  
Kyungsoo tries to keep his eyes from widening, his shock from Kris’ statement showing only at how his fumbles to open the last pack of ramen. “What do you mean?”  
  
Kris shrugs. “You know the usually story of how friends sometimes end up together which usually starts when one of them is going through something. I was alone in a foreign country and Sehun was one of the few friends I had here. Thankfully he was too much of a loser for me so I was able to dodge that bullet.”  
  
The taller man ends his story with a genuine laugh and asks if Kyungsoo would like him to fill up the pot with water at the nearby water source for campers. Kyungsoo nods distractedly, a little too shaken to shoot a followup question, and instead watches Kris walk away with not a falter in his step.  
  
Up until now, Kyungsoo has yet to meet another gay man, let alone someone who openly admits that they like other men. Korea may be at the top of their game when it comes to developing electronics and beauty products to help boost the ego and image of its people but the nation still lacks introspection into its views about homosexuality. Kyungsoo wonders if Kris gets his courage from having been brought up in another country or if it’s the thrill of traveling in a foreign country along with people who he will most probably never see again that allows him to talk so freely about himself with no consequences in mind. A feeling akin to fear also creeps inside the smaller man when he thinks that Kris may have a feeling that his hiking buddy is gay, too, so that warrants the uncharacteristic honesty marking most of their conversations. Is Kyungsoo _that_ obvious?  
  
When Kris returns with a pot full of water he asks Kyungsoo what’s next and the smaller man directs him to the burning fire, asking Kris to put in all the ramen noodle squares that can fit inside. Kyungsoo doesn’t know what gets into him but he suddenly finds himself gravitating away from Kris as he tries to makes sense of the static running through his skin. Kyungsoo is unsure if he’s feeling uncomfortable or excited at the thought of being in proximity of another person who may or may not understand what he’s going through. Eventually though, Kris makes him decided that he’s more excited than uncomfortable when he comes up to Kyungsoo to ask him the same question that the smaller man has been asking himself, “Does it bother you that I’m gay?”  
  
“What?” Kyungsoo is once again taken aback by Kris’ ability to talk of his sexuality so freely. He first looks around to see if anyone is listening, making sure that the the people they’re with keep to whatever it is that they’re doing right now.  
  
“I… no, not at all. Does it look like I am?” Kyungsoo frowns, unconsciously touching his face.  
  
“No. I just wanted to make sure that I didn’t guess wrong about you,” Kris tells him, the corners of his lips curling up into a smile that speaks of thanks and open secrets.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
Given that none of them had any other choices for food, the dinner that Kris and Kyungsoo prepared disappears in less than fifteen minutes. With dinner over, Sehun tells them that everyone is free to do whatever they want, only advising them that if they decide to drink or stay up late to remember that they’re leaving the camping grounds by 7:30 in the morning.  
  
Sehun asks Chanyeol to teach him how to play the guitar while Hyojung and Yejin watch in awe as their group lead gets none of the chords right. Jongdae and Baekhyun have dedicated their night to bringing back dessert for their group by mooching off other campers and that leaves Kyungsoo with Kris, the two of them not too keen on joining anything that that involves a lot of noise.  
  
The taller man tells his hiking buddy that he’s taking a walk and Kyungsoo isn’t sure if he’s telling him this in case Sehun asks where Kris is or if it’s an invitation to join him. Kyungsoo figures that it’s really up to him what it will end up to be so he just goes after Kris’ trail because he really has nothing much else to do expect sleep the night away.  
  
They go past a line of overgrown bushes, away from the revelry but not too far off to dive into the darkness of the woods to snuff out the light of the fires and to lose the sound of people chattering. Kris stops when he find a spot that’s clear of hanging branches, lies down on his back and points to the sky above them, urging Kyungsoo to follow suit. Kyungsoo sits down beside him, stretching his legs to the front and leaning back to look up at the stars shinning away in the night.  
  
“What made you come out here?” Kris asks after a long period of silence.  
  
“I needed to get away from my family,” Kyungsoo replies honestly. He finds that it’s better to get to the point when eventually it’s going to lead down this road. The smaller man wonders why he’s being so open but he isn’t really too bothered by it. Kyungsoo is feeling the kind of rush that someone gets when something new is at hand, urging you to then bare yourself to the novelty of the moment. He’s sure Kris feels it too. “How about you?”  
  
“Same as you, kind of. I wanted to get away from work while I can since students are still on their break. Once in a while I need some time to be alone, to remind myself that I’m still the same person and not just someone who teaches math at a local high school. I’m a teacher, by the way.” Kris grins up at him, smile loose and gummy.  
  
“You don’t like what you do?”  
  
“It’s not that. I like being around kids but often times I'm struck with how I use my job as a way to distract myself and the people around me.” Kris sighs, more to himself than anything else. “I think you'll understand when I say that it's better to be identified as a dedicated teacher than as a gay man."  
  
This statement has Kyungsoo turn sharply to look down at Kris. He obviously has the choice to negate Kris, telling him that he in fact does not understand. However, he finds that doing so will be more unfair to himself than to anybody else.  
  
“I’m not sure I follow…” The smaller man trails off, instead questioning how Kris views his career.  
  
“When you focus all your energy to become, say a teacher that all his students look up to, sometimes you get lucky and the faculty decides to turn a blind eye to a ‘peculiar trait’ that you have.”  
  
Kyungsoo laughs at this, albeit quite mockingly. “Is that what your co-workers call it? My mom doesn’t even bother trying and just tells my aunt it’s my gay stage.”  
  
“Coming out wasn’t easy for you, was it?” Kris guesses.  
  
“No, it wasn’t. Why, was yours?” Kyungsoo asks, eyes curious.  
  
“Well I didn’t burst into flames when I finally said I was gay out loud but it did open up a gate of new experiences – some good and some bad.”  
  
“Life happened, basically,” the smaller man says matter of factly.  
  
  
This time, it’s Kris who laughs. “Yeah, I guess… or shit happened. Same thing.”  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
Kyungsoo ends up spending the rest of the night with Kris, a man who does not know enough about him to hear his secrets but ends up hearing most of them by the time the sun has risen.  
  
When he really thinks about, Kyungsoo wonders how and why he managed to talk about his sexuality and the complexities it has brought into his life with someone who is essentially a stranger. He’s also consumed by the thoughts of how he can’t even utter a word about his choice to love men to his family, his own flesh and blood.  
  
Perhaps it’s the nature of the situation which allows Kyungsoo to speak so freely. There are no consequences because Kris is from China and when this hiking trip ends, he’ll go back to teaching in a foreign country where there’s not a single soul who’d care about Kyungsoo’s preferences in lovers. Perhaps it’s also because Kyungsoo has never thought of seeking out people in his area who strive to help gay men and women be accepted in society, fearing that it will do him more harm than good to live out the life he has always wanted for himself.  
  
Evidently, Kyungsoo is still not comfortable in his own skin. No one except his family knows about him being gay and so far, he has no plans on changing that. One day though, he hopes that he can be like Kris – someone who came out to his mom and co-teachers, someone who openly tells people he likes men when asked or prompted, someone who shows that living his life will not be and should not be affected by his choice to love men.  
  
It’s both with a heavy heart and a hopeful soul that Kyungsoo listens to Kris’ story, watching the taller man reach out his hand to the sky, fingers trying to close in on one of the stars.  
  
Maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t have to go through this ordeal all alone.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
The second and penultimate day of their hike is off to a rough start what with the group having to go through a path that is more inclined than usual as they head to Beomeosa Temple that is situated at the edge of Geumjeongsan Mountain.  
  
Throughout the day, Kris and Kyungsoo stay a little behind the group to talk about matters that are not easily explained when overheard. The smaller man listens to his newfound acquaintance-slash-friend-slash-confidante tell him about how he came out to his mother at the tender age of fourteen. He was a young pubescent Chinese boy who went through a rebellious phase, thinking he can sort his feelings out if he chose to ignore them through tattoos and late nights with his friends. Eventually though, Kris comes to terms with how he finds men beautiful and opens up to his mom about it. In the long run, he learns that his love for kids doesn’t have to end just because he’s gay. Kris becomes a teacher, happy that he’s found a way to become part of the lives of countless children, helping them go through life by teaching them the fundamentals of advanced algebra. The taller man shares with Kyungsoo how his sexuality doesn’t have to be a big deal even if the world makes it out to be. Living a life with another man is not impossible, it’s just challenging – but what relationship doesn’t have its own ups and downs? Kris also reminds Kyungsoo that it’s okay to fear and to fret about the decision to come out as gay. There’s nothing wrong with playing the push and pull game with acceptance. He tells Kyungsoo that he has long acknowledged his need for solitary and self-affirmation by joining hikes where he can brood over life and be by himself.  
  
“I hope one day I’ll be able to live life like you do, you know, with the kind of self-freedom that you have.” Kyungsoo wistfully says as the two of them walk in sync, their group now on their way to Janggunbong Peak where they’ll be spending the night surrounded by a view of granite boulders.  
  
“Who’s stopping you?” Kris answers him, laying an encouraging hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.  
  
“Myself? I don’t know.” Kyungsoo shrugs. “It’s hard trying to figure things out on my own. Support or advocacy groups aren’t really an option because, well, I guess I’m not ready to talk about my sexuality with other people just yet.”  
  
“You’re doing just fine with me, so what’s the problem?”  
  
“This is different,” Kyungsoo replies quietly. “You’re different.”  
  
Kris hums to acknowledge what Kyungsoo has said. “Because I’m going through the same thing as you are?”  
  
“In a way, yes,” the smaller man confirms. “I know enough to understand that not everyone who’s gay goes through the process of coming out and dealing with the aftermath in the same way.”  
  
“So what happens to you then? After all this when you go back to the real world of family and work?”  
  
“Well, to be honest, I’m hoping to see the brighter side of things. What you said made sense, that I have to get used to the push and pull of things.”  
  
“You know if you ever need any help…” Kris starts, one hand coming to rub the back of his neck as he continues. “It’s not like I’m disappearing from the face of the earth after this hike. I’ll be in China and well, you can always shoot an email or something, if you want to of course.”  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
Kyungsoo’s Top Grade Hiking Group experience ends with a bang, literally, when Sehun brings out a party popper as they reach the end of the trail. All good things come to an end when he parts ways with Kris, waving goodbye with one hand and clutching a small piece of paper containing Kris’ email in the other.  
  
When Kyungsoo heads back to Seoul, he doesn't expect to feel any different but he actually does, even if just a little. He feels lighter and tomorrow appears to be a tad bit brighter than it did yesterday. Kyungsoo knows that there is no such thing as destiny, fate, or luck in his life — instead there is only circumstance. It’s circumstance that has lead him to meet and learn from Kris. He also tries to convince himself that it’s circumstance which urges him to make the first move and contact Kris on one of those days when life gets the better of him, its innocent pushing turning to deliberate shoving.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
 **From: doksoo0112@naver.com  
To: laoshiwu.kris@weibo.com  
Subject: Hi. It’s Kyungsoo from Top Grade Hiking**  
  
Hi Kris,  
  
This is Kyungsoo from Top Grade Hiking. Not sure if you remember me since it’s been almost four months after we last met but yeah just wanted to say hi. Also, thanks for all the advice. Was wondering if I could take you up on your offer to talk when times get rough. If it’s okay with you, of course.  
  
Well anyway, hope all is well with you. Looking forward to hear from you.  
  
Kyungsoo  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
 **From: laoshiwu.kris@weibo.com  
To: doksoo0112@naver.com  
Subject: Re: Hi. It’s Kyungsoo from Top Grade Hiking**  
  
Of course I remember you! How have you been? Was beginning to think you’d never come around and say hi. What’s up? Tell me what’s bothering you. - Kris  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
It takes almost a year or so for Kyungsoo to understand that Kris’ eagerness to help him and his own willingness to be open up to Kris are telltale signs that they’re interested in one another. After months of emailing and eventually video calling each other, Kyungsoo realizes that he actually likes someone and that he potentially has a chance be in a relationship.  
  
Though he has long suspected the possibility of Kris taking a liking to him, Kyungsoo has also guessed that Kris is hesitant to ask Kyungsoo out since the smaller man has always been the more reserved of the two. All that really needs to happen now is for Kyungsoo to break down the wall that he himself has built, the wall that’s been keeping Kris on the other side, away from him.  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
 **From: doksoo0112@naver.com  
To: laoshiwu.kris@weibo.com  
Subject: Re: Reunion**  
  
Hey Kris,  
  
Glad to hear you got through your mom’s family reunion unscathed. I told you you’ll be fine.  
  
By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you that Sehun is arranging another hike. Just in Seoul this time at Gwanaksan Mountain and Bukhansan Mountain.  
  
I was thinking of joining again. You should too. If you want, you can stay over at my place.  
  
Let me know.  
  
Kyungsoo  
  
✽ ✽ ✽  
  
 **From: laoshiwu.kris@weibo.com  
To: doksoo0112@naver.com  
Subject: Re: Reunion**  
  
Really? I’d love to. I’ll call you again tonight, okay? - Kris


End file.
